Footboard having integrated foot cushion

ABSTRACT

A bed frame includes a weight bearing framework  30,  and a footboard  82  that cooperates with the framework to define an edge  90  of an occupant region  92  of the bed. The footboard  82  includes a footboard frame  100  and a pressurizable cushion  104.  A mattress system  160  includes a main occupant support portion  162  with a support surface  168  and a cushion  170  located footwardly of the occupant support portion. The cushion has a deployed state in which it projects vertically higher than the support surface and a stored state in which it does not project vertically higher than the support surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/877,597, filed Sep. 8, 2010, to be issued as U.S. Pat. No. ______,and which is hereby incorporated by reference here.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described, herein relates to features for protectingthe occupant of a bed from undesirable conditions or events such asmigration toward the foot end of the bed, foot drop, and excessiveinterface pressure exerted on the occupant's feet. The preventivefeatures described herein are especially applicable to beds used inhospitals, other health care facilities and home health care settings.

BACKGROUND

Beds of the type used in health care settings include a frame, a deck,and a mattress resting on the deck. The deck is typically comprised oftwo or more deck sections. At least some of the deck sections areorientation adjustable so that the occupant or a caregiver can changethe overall profile of the deck and mattress. Such beds also include afootboard extending laterally across the foot end of the bed andextending vertically to an elevation higher than the elevation of thetop of the mattress. Some beds include provisions to alter thelongitudinal position of the footboard to accommodate mattresses ofdiffering lengths and occupants of different heights.

Forces exerted on the bed occupant during profile adjustment of the bedcan push the occupant longitudinally toward the foot of the bed,subjecting the occupant's skin to undesirable shear stress andcompromising the operation of any bed features that are sensitive to theoccupant's longitudinal position. It is, therefore, desirable to designthe bed with features that prevent or minimize such longitudinalmigration or that allow for easy and convenient mitigation of sheerstress and suboptimal occupant position that has occurred.

Under some circumstances the occupant's feet may contact the footboard.Although this can result from occupant migration which is not mitigatedas described above, it can also be intentional. For example the occupantand/or footboard may be intentionally positioned so that the occupant'sfeet rest against the footboard. This may help prevent foot drop,however the interface pressure between the occupant's feet and thefootboard, if sustained for a long time, increases the risk of pressureulcers developing on the occupant's feet.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a bed with features that helpprevent occupant migration, are useful for repositioning the occupant ifmigration does occur, and that reduce the likelihood that pressureulcers will develop on the occupant's feet if they are in intentional orunintentional contact with the footboard for an extended time.

SUMMARY

The present application describes a bed frame comprising a weightbearing framework, and a footboard that cooperates with the framework todefine an edge of an occupant region of the bed. The footboard includesa footboard frame and a pressurizable cushion. The application alsodescribes a mattress system comprising an occupant support portion witha support surface and a cushion located footwardly of the occupantsupport portion. The cushion has a deployed state in which it projectsvertically higher than the support surface and a stored state in whichit does not project vertically higher than the support surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the various embodiments of the bedframe and mattress system described herein will become more apparentfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, side elevation view of a hospital bed having afootboard mounted on an extendable and retractable extension of a deck.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing only a portion of abed having a footboard mounted on a nonextendable deck section.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing only portion of a bedhaving a footboard mounted on an elevatable frame.

FIG. 4 is a view in the direction 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic, side elevation view in the direction 5-5 of FIG.4 depicting additional details including a pressurizable cushion in theform of a bladder, the bladder being shown in an extended or distendedstate in which it projects a distance d.sub.3 beyond an occupant side ofa footboard frame.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 with the bladder shown in anonextended state.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a top view of an alternate form of the pressurizable cushion.

FIG. 9 is a top view of another alternate form of the pressurizablecushion incorporating a foam material.

FIG. 10 is a schematic, side elevation view illustrating a cushion inthe form of a bellows bladder.

FIG. 11 is a schematic, side elevation view illustrating a cushion inthe form of tandem bellows bladders.

FIG. 12 is a schematic, side elevation view of a mattress systemincluding an occupant support portion with a support surface and acushion located footwardly of the occupant support portion, the cushioncomprising a bladder resting on a foam foundation, and being shown in adeployed state (solid lines) in which the bladder projects verticallyhigher than the support surface and a stored state (dashed lines) inwhich it does not project vertically higher than the support surface.

FIGS. 13-18 are views similar to that of FIG. 12 showing variousarrangements of single and multiple bladders, standing alone or incombination with a foam foundation or overlay.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-3 shows a hospital bed 20 having a head end 22, a foot end 24longitudinally spaced from the head end, a left side 26 and a right side28 (visible in FIGS. 1-3) laterally spaced from the left side. The bedincludes a bed frame which includes a weight bearing framework 30comprising a base frame 32 an elevatable frame 40 supported on the baseframe and a deck 44 supported on the elevatable frame. The illustrateddeck is a segmented deck comprising a torso or upper body section 46, aseat section 48, a thigh section 50 and a calf section 52. The bed alsoincludes a mattress 56 resting on the deck. The mattress has a topsurface 58. The deck of FIG. 1 also includes a calf deck sectionextension 62, which can be extended or retracted to accommodatemattresses of differing lengths and occupants of different heights. Theangular orientation (angles α and β) of the upper body, thigh and calfsections can be adjusted to achieve a variety of desired bed profiles.Casters 64 extend from the base frame to the floor 66.

The bed frame also includes a headboard 80 mounted on the elevatableframe and a footboard mounted on calf deck section extension 62 (FIG.1). The footboard has an occupant side 86 and a caregiver side 88.Alternatively, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the deck extension may beabsent and the footboard may be mounted on the calf deck section 52(FIG. 2) or on the elevatable frame 40 (FIG. 3). Irrespective of whetheror not extension 62 is present or absent, and irrespective of whetherthe footboard is mounted on a deck section 52, 62 or on the elevatableframe 40, the footboard cooperates with the framework to define a footedge 90 of an occupant region 92 of the bed.

Referring to FIGS. 4-7 footboard 82 comprises a comparatively rigidfootboard frame 100 bordering a cavity 102 and a comparatively soft,pressurizable cushion 104 having a surface 106 facing toward theoccupant region 92 of the bed. The lower extremity or bottom surface 108of the cushion is substantially at the same elevation 110 as the top ofthe mattress. In a principal embodiment the cushion is a fluid bladder114 comprising a fluid impermeable liner 112 containing only apressurizing fluid (typically air). The bladder includes pleats or folds116 which give the bladder a bellows-like character. A removeableelastic cover 118 is secured to the bellows, e.g. by a zipper. The covercan be removed for cleaning and disinfecting.

A source of pressurized air such as a compressor 124 is connected to thebladder by a fluid transport line 126. The compressor may be a componentof the bed or may be independent of the bed. An aspirator 128, such as apump 130, is also connected to the bladder. The pump may be a separatelyidentifiable component, as shown, or the pump and compressor may beintegrated into a single unit. Optionally, an exhaust valve 132 may beused as an aspirator. Although the illustration shows both pump 130 andan exhaust valve 132 it is expected that a commercial embodiment willrequire only one or the other.

The bladder has a distended or extended state (FIGS. 5, 7) in which itextends toward the head end of the framework by an amount d₁ relative toa reference datum, such as plane 140. The extended state is the resultof pressurized air from the air source 124 having been admitted to theinterior of the bladder, causing a portion 136 of the bladder to projecta distance d₃ headwardly beyond the occupant side 86 of the headboardframe. The bladder also has a nonextended state (FIG. 6) in which thebladder extends toward the head end of the framework by an amountd.sub.2 relative to the datum, where d₂ is less than d₁. In theillustrated embodiment the bladder resides entirely inside footboardcavity 102 when in its nonextended state. The nonextended state is theresult of pressurized air having been vented from the bladder throughexhaust valve 132 or having been removed by the pump 130. It should beappreciated that the intrabladder pressure may need to be elevated to aminimum working pressure before the bladder is effective for itsintended purpose.

The footboard may also include provisions for assisting transition fromthe extended state to the nonextended state. For example if the ventvalve 132 is used to relieve intrabladder pressure, a spring 142 can beused to exert a return force on the bladder to accelerate transitionfrom the extended state to the nonextended state subsequent to openingof the exhaust valve, and to ensure that the projecting portion 136 ofthe bladder is retracted into the cavity 102. The spring can also beused in conjunction with pump 130.

The bladder is constructed so that when it is pressurized to a workingpressure, the surface 106 facing the occupant presents a foot receptacle150 shaped and sized to receive an occupant's foot and to maintaininterface pressure between the occupant's feet and the surface at levelslow enough to discourage the development of pressure ulcers or the onsetof other types of skin breakdown.

In operation, the bed occupant or a caregiver operates the compressor topressurize the bladder, causing it to increase in volume until itcontacts or nearly contacts the occupant's feet. As a result the cushioncan help resist any tendency for the occupant to migrate toward the footend of the bed, as typically occurs in response to an increase in theorientation angle α of the deck upper body section 46. Pressurization ofthe cushion can be a preparatory step carried out prior to changing theorientation angle α or can be carried out concurrently and incoordination with the change in α. In the event that occupant migrationdoes occur, the occupant can push against the bladder with his feet tohelp reposition himself toward the head end of the bed, thereby at leastpartially reversing any tissue shear that resulted from the initialfootward migration and placing himself in a more favorable position forcorrect functioning of bed features that are sensitive to occupantposition. The soft character of the cushion, augmented by the footreceptacle 150, if provided, also helps reduce the risk of pressureulcers if the occupant's feet are in intentional or unintentionalcontact with the footboard for an extended time.

FIG. 8 shows an alternate cushion 104, also in the form of a bladder114. The alternate bladder, unlike the bellows bladder of FIGS. 4-7,does not undergo a significant volumetric change in response to changesin intrabladder pressure. Instead, the illustrated bladder becomesincreasingly stiff or firm in response to increasing intrabladderpressure and becomes increasingly soft in response to decreasingintrabladder pressure. A removeable cover 118 is secured to the bellows,e.g. by a zipper. The cover can be removed for cleaning anddisinfecting.

In the above described embodiments the cushion 104 is a fluid bladdercontaining only a pressurizing fluid. However other forms of the cushionmay include other intrabladder features. FIG. 9 shows one possiblealternative in which the cushion comprises a porous foam material 152inside a fluid-impermeable liner 112. Even when unpressurized orpressurized to a low pressure the cushion presents a soft surface 106 tothe bed occupant. With increasing pressurization additional air entersthe pores of the foam and any space between the foam and the bladderliner 112 causing the cushion to become stiffer and/or expand in volumedepending on the particulars of its construction.

In FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 the angle σ formed by surface 106 of bladder 114 andtop surface 58 of mattress 56 is about ninety degrees. If the footboardis mounted on deck extension 62 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 6) or directly on thedeck calf section 52 (FIG. 2) any change in the angular orientation ofdeck section 52 (e.g. due to a change in angle β) will cause acorresponding change in the orientation of the footboard, preserving theperpendicularity of surfaces 58, 106. However, if the footboard is framemounted as in FIG. 3, angle σ changes in response to changes in β. If itis desired to maintain a fixed angular relationship (perpendicular orotherwise) between surfaces 58 and 106, or to achieve a variable angularrelationship other than the changing angle σ that arises in response tochanges in β, it will be necessary to make provisions for achieving thedesired relationship. One way of doing so is a tapered bellows bladder114 as shown in FIG. 10. The tapered bellows bladder features highextensibility at its lower end and limited extensibility at its upperend. As the orientation of deck 52 relative to frame 40 changes (e.g. toan angle δ) pressurized air is admitted to the bladder to achieve thedesired angle σ between surfaces 58 and 106. Referring to FIG. 11, twoor more tapered bellows bladders 114A, 114B may be used in tandem toimprove the ability to achieve a desired angle σ.

The principles disclosed above can also be employed in a mattresssystem. FIG. 12 shows a mattress system 160 including a main occupantsupport portion 162 extending longitudinally from a head end to a footend 166 and having a top surface 168. The mattress system also includesa cushion 170, located footwardly of the main occupant support portion.At least part of the cushion is pressurizable. In the illustratedembodiment the cushion comprises a nonpressurizable foundation 176beneath a pressurizable fluid bladder 178. A bed sheet 180 covers theoccupant support portion 162 and cushion 170. A dedicated bladder cover,not illustrated but analogous to bladder cover 118 of FIGS. 4-11, can beprovided to protect the bladder from contaminants

A source of pressurized air such as a compressor 124 is connected to thebladder by a fluid transport line 126. The compressor may be a componentof the bed or may be independent of the bed. An aspirator 128, such as apump 130, is also connected to the bladder. The pump may be a separatelyidentifiable component, as shown, or the pump and compressor may beintegrated into a single unit. Optionally, an exhaust valve 132 may beused as an aspirator. Although the illustration shows both pump 130 andan exhaust valve 132 it is expected that a commercial embodiment willrequire only one or the other.

Cushion 170 has a deployed state (solid lines) in which it projectsvertically higher than the surface 168. As used herein in the context ofthe mattress system 160 the vertical direction is the directionperpendicular to surface 168 even if surface 168 is not orientedhorizontally, as would occur if deck section 52 were at a nonhorizontalorientation, and independently of any adjustment to the host frame.Cushion 170 also has a stored state (dashed lines) in which it does notproject vertically higher than the support surface. The stored state isthe result of pressurized air having been vented from the bladderthrough exhaust valve 132 or having been removed by the pump 130. Thedeployed state occurs in response to pressurization of the bladder, forexample as a result of pressurized air from the air source 124 havingbeen admitted to the interior of the bladder. Although thepressurization and venting of the cushion may be scheduled as a functionof an adjustment made to the host frame (e.g. a change in angle α and/orβ) the frame components do not themselves act on cushion 170 to effect atransition between the stored state and the deployed state. It should beappreciated that the intrabladder pressure may need to be elevated to aminimum working pressure before the bladder is effective for itsintended purpose.

The mattress system may also include provisions for assisting transitionfrom the deployed state to the stored state. For example if the ventvalve 132 is used to relieve intrabladder pressure, a spring 142 can beused to exert a return force on the bladder. The spring can also be usedin conjunction with pump 130.

Bladder 178 is constructed so that when it is pressurized to a workingpressure, the surface portion 106 facing the occupant presents a footreceptacle 150 shaped and sized to receive an occupant's foot and tomaintain interface pressure between the occupant's feet and the surfaceat levels that are unlikely to promote the development of pressureulcers or other types of skin breakdown.

In operation, the bed occupant or a caregiver operates the compressor topressurize the bladder, causing it to increase in volume until itprojects vertically higher than surface 168 in the vicinity of theoccupant's feet. The bed sheet 180 stretches slightly to accommodate thedeployed contour of the bladder. A satisfactory vertical height is aheight h_(v) about equal to at least the length of an occupant's foot.Such lengths can be found in readily available compilations ofanthropometric data. The deployed bladder can then be employed to resistany tendency for the bed occupant to migrate toward the foot end of thebed, as typically occurs in response to an increase in the orientationangle α of the deck upper body section 46. Pressurization of the cushioncan be a preparatory step carried out prior to changing the orientationangle α or can be carried out concurrently and in coordination with thechange in α. In the event that occupant migration does occur, theoccupant can push against the bladder with his feet to help repositionhimself toward the head end of the bed, thereby reversing any tissueshear that resulted from the initial footward migration and placinghimself in a more favorable position for correct functioning of bedfeatures that are sensitive to occupant position. The soft character ofthe cushion, augmented by the foot receptacle 150, if provided, alsohelps reduce the risk of pressure ulcers if the occupant's feet are inintentional or unintentional contact with the footboard for an extendedtime.

FIGS. 13-18 show other cushion configurations, all in their storedstates. FIG. 13 shows a cushion comprising a nonpressurizable foundation176 supporting multiple pressurizable bladders 178A, 178B, 178C. FIG. 14shows a pressurizable bladder 178 beneath a nonpressurizable overlay182. FIG. 15 shows multiple pressurizable bladders 178A, 178B, 178Cbeneath a nonpressurizable overlay 182. FIG. 16 shows a pressurizablebladder 178 beneath a segmented, nonpressurizable overlay 182 comprisingoverlay segments 182A, 182B, 182C. FIG. 17 shows a single pressurizablebladder 178 unaccompanied by a nonpressurizable foundation or overlay.FIG. 18 shows multiple pressurizable bladders 178A, 178B, 178Cunaccompanied by a nonpressurizable foundation or overlay.

Although this disclosure refers to specific embodiments, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form anddetail may be made without departing from the subject matter set forthin the accompanying claims

1.-10. (canceled)
 11. A bed frame comprising a framework having a headend and a foot end; and a footboard supported by the framework adjacentthe foot end, the footboard having a footboard body including a recessdefining a cavity, the footboard having a pressurizable bladder situatedin the cavity, the pressurizable bladder being positioned for engagementwith bottoms of feet of a patient supported by the framework.
 12. Thebed frame of claim 11, wherein the pressurizable bladder becomesincreasingly firm in response to increasing intrabladder pressure andbecomes increasingly soft in response to decreasing intrabladderpressure without a commensurate change in volume attributable to thechanges in intrabladder pressure.
 13. The bed frame of claim 11, whereinthe cavity is generally rectangular in shape.
 14. The bed frame of claim13, wherein the bladder is generally rectangular in shape.
 15. The bedframe of claim 14, wherein the pressurizable bladder occupiessubstantially an entirety of a volume of the cavity when inflated. 16.The bed frame of claim 11, further comprising a cover coupled to thepressurizable bladder and extending over at least a portion of thepressurizable bladder.
 17. The bed frame of claim 16, wherein the coveris detachable from the pressurizable bladder for cleaning anddisinfecting.
 18. The bed frame of claim 11, further comprising a foammaterial situated inside the pressurizable bladder.
 19. The bed frame ofclaim 18, wherein the foam material comprises a porous foam material.20. The bed frame of claim 18, wherein the foam material occupiessubstantially an entirety of a volume of the pressurizable bladder. 21.The bed frame of claim 18, further comprising an air source to inflatethe pressurizable bladder.
 22. The bed frame of claim 21, wherein theair source comprises a compressor.
 23. The bed frame of claim 21,further comprising an aspirator to deflate the pressurizable bladder.24. The bed frame of claim 23, wherein the aspirator comprises anexhaust valve.
 25. The bed frame of claim 21, wherein the aspiratorcomprises a pump.
 26. The bed frame of claim 11, further comprising anair source to inflate the pressurizable bladder.
 27. The bed frame ofclaim 26, wherein the air source comprises a compressor.
 28. The bedframe of claim 26, further comprising an aspirator to deflate thepressurizable bladder.
 29. The bed frame of claim 26, wherein theaspirator comprises an exhaust valve.
 30. The bed frame of claim 26,wherein the aspirator comprises a pump.